This Ridiculously Simple Habit Can Accelerate Your Weight Loss Journey

What weight-control practice is?most associated?with successful weight loss and is also associated with unsuccessful attempts at losing weight?

Well, We might be feeling really foolish not using this practice because it’s truly easy and you can start right after reading the article!

A fascinating?study?shows this practice will help you in an average reduction of 235 calories a day. Moreover another?study?– conducted by researchers at Virginia Tech – found that those who use this practice before a meal were able to?lose 5 lbs more?than a group of people who followed a similar meal plan, but didn’t do that.

These are significant numbers!

The answer to what is this practice would be to?drink the right amount of water and stay hydrated.?

So at the end of the article, you’ll know exactly how much water is recommended for you, but first, let's understand why it has such a big influence on our weight. Because when we understand the logic behind certain practices we’re much more likely to follow through with them (and actually they are also truly fascinating)!

Unfortunately, we’re in a crisis when it comes to hydration. The average American only drinks?1.8 cups?a day which is significantly less than what’s recommended, other countries are not in such a better position…?

Let’s start and see how water helps us lose weight:

1. Water is a natural appetite suppressant

When we realize we're hungry, our first impulse may be to find food. But eating may not be the answer. Thirst, which is triggered by mild dehydration, is often mistaken for hunger by the brain. Many times drinking a cup of water at these moments cut this opportunity for unnecessary snacking.

But more interesting?research?got people to naturally eat 22% less than those who didn't drink any water prior to eating. The only thing they asked of the participants is to drink two glasses of water immediately before a meal.?

So how does it happen? Well, When the stomach senses that it is full, it sends signals to the brain to stop eating. Drinking water before or during meals can help take up space in the stomach, leading to feeling full and resulting in consuming fewer calories.

2. Drinking water stimulates your metabolism

A study published in the?Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism?found that drinking water increases the metabolic rate of men and women by 30%. This happens because cold water must be warmed in the stomach before being absorbed, and this warming process is what causes the metabolism to increase.?

The body has to?expend energy?to warm the fluid to body temperature, and the more energy expended by your body, the faster your metabolism, thus burning more calories.

A?study?of overweight women examined the effects of increasing water intake to over 1 liter per day. They found that over a 12-month period, this resulted in an extra 4.4 lbs of weight loss. Since these women didn’t make any lifestyle changes except to drink more water, these results are very impressive.

3. Drinking water reduces the intake of other calorie-rich beverages

Many times we ignore how many calories we consume in sweet/sports drinks or alcoholic beverages.

There are 210 calories in 1 bottle (500 ml) of Coca-Cola. In addition to the calories, add the highs and lows of drinking these drinks, which usually trigger cravings & snacking.?

Water contains no calories, therefore filling your glass with H2O instead of higher-calorie alternatives such as juice, soda, or sweetened tea or coffee will reduce the overall calorie intake. Choose water over the standard vending machine soft drink, and you'll drink 210 fewer calories!

Diet beverages are no better.?The interesting explanation is that artificial sweeteners basically "trick" our brain.?

Your brain may end up feeling cheated by artificial sweeteners, figuring you have to consume more and more sweetness throughout the day in order to get enough calories.

Disclaimer: there is no need cut these beverages for life, when we understand their consequences we can choose more wisely when to consume them.?

4) Water increases your workout effectiveness

Being hydrated reduces the risk of things that can get in the way of working out, such as muscle cramps and fatigue.

When muscle cells are dehydrated, they break down protein (aka muscle) more quickly and build muscle more slowly, so your workouts are much less effective.

And as you probably know, an important component of any weight loss plan is exercise.

So how much should you drink in order to achieve these remarkable results??

Unless you have a condition like heart or kidney failure or your physician otherwise advises you to restrict your fluid intake, here is how much water is recommended to drink every day to help your weight (based on the Institute of Medicine’s?adequate intakes and assuming moderate physical activity at moderate ambient temperatures)

However, there is a danger in drinking too much water. Even healthy kidneys can only handle about three cups of water an hour. Beyond that, we risk washing the electrolytes out of our brains with potentially lethal consequences.

Important note:?at a heavier weight, you actually need more water. The daily water requirement of a man of average height weighing 210 pounds may be four cups more than if he weighed 160 pounds.

How to make this habit easier?

So, now we know that drinking water is crucial for efficient weight loss. But the truth is that even if we understand the logic behind drinking more water, in the hectic day-to-day we forget to do that.

So here are some simple tips to succeed with this habit:

1. Use a high-quality, reusable plastic bottle instead of the cheap plastic ones. This will save you the plastic pollution and will encourage you to drink more water.
2. When you're working, always have water on your desk. That way you're making your environment suitable for this important habit.
3. If you're still forgetting to drink water, try setting up an alarm on a couple of occasions throughout the day, to remind yourself of drinking water.
4. Try to have cold water instead of room-temperature ones. Usually, when the water is cold, people tend to drink more.
5. If you love gadgets, you can try purchasing a smart water bottle- that will glow every time you need to drink and will give you data about your daily water intake.
6. Start every morning with 2 cups of water, even before you take a shower or brush your teeth. It's especially important since during the night we are dehydrated.

Even if in the beginning it's a bit challenging, with time drinking water just becomes your second nature.

? The bottom line:

Water makes up about 60% of your body, make it your summer goal to stay hydrated. I guarantee you’ll see remarkable results in your health, energy levels & weight!?

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"Water is the lifeblood of our bodies, our economy, our nation and our well-being." (Stephen Johnson)